


Coming Home

by Artsynerd_Withnolife



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 3: The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice), Book 4: The Battle For Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice), Duncan too, Familial Love, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Feels not plot, Fluff, Gen, Homesickness, and Halt will give them because he is such a dad, these poor kids just need some hugs, they are just good soft dads, who want their kids safe and sound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 10:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20704799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artsynerd_Withnolife/pseuds/Artsynerd_Withnolife
Summary: Will and Evanlyn have been away from home for far too long, the Skandians are ready to make friends, and Halt and Duncan are good dads.Just a sweet moment when these poor kids finally get back to their dads and homes after Skandia.





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this with the intention of writing more for it but I'm tired of it so I edited the fic and here it is. 
> 
> Background: a minor canon divergence where Halt and Horace didn't go to Skandia and Will and Evanlyn helped out the Skandians all on their own. Idk I just like making characters suffer ig
> 
> Anyway, I most likely won't do anything else with this but I want to keep writing for the fandom bcs it's seriously under appreciated!!

Will's heart leapt in his throat as the wolf ship drew closer to the port. The huge ship sailed inland on the side ford that ran past and through the grounds of castle Araluen. The promise of returning home after several months in fearsome Skandia had dampened somewhat in the weeks it took to sail back to Araluen. Now though, the promise of home was tantalisingly close. Although Will had never been to the royal fief, he knew Halt has often acted as an advisor to the King and that the Ranger Corps head Crowley resided there in times of peace. Will was desperate to see any familiar face, for though he had made friends of the fearsome skandians, Will's homesickness only grew with every day he had to spend in the foreign land after the war against the temujai. 

Cassandra, of course, was nearly bouncing where she stood for the first glimpse of her home. The familiar land was a sight for sore eyes indeed and she longed for her own bed and servant friends and, most importantly, her father who she hadn't seen since her journey half a year ago into the Celtic land.

The wolf ship proudly showed Cassandra's royal symbol as a flag, likely the only thing preventing the archers lined in the banks of the wide River from firing. At the first hint of the fearsome ship the king and his generals were alerted. A band of infantry was assembled in preparation in addition to the archers. When the ship was said to have his daughter's emblem on it, the king himself, dressed in half armor, made his way to stand imperiously on the dock in front of his troops. While he never hoped to rule by intimidation, he was well aware of the vow the oberjarl had made against his bloodline, not to mention the generally hostile relations between their two countries. A personal appearance from the king was surely enough to appear vigilant. 

Along with the king was one more mourning father-

"Halt!" Will cried out, leaning over the bulwark. His master was standing a meter behind the king, cowl up, bow raised, arrow nocked, but Will had spent enough time around his mentor to recognize the lithe form. Speaking of which, halt jolted to attention, lowering his bow, eyes wide beneath the hood. "Cassandra's here! We're both okay! The skandians are friends!" Will continued to shout out, trying to prevent a conflict before it started.

Evalyn joined in as well to try and dissuade her father's worries, "They are allies!" The two of them had discussed this meeting in depth, noting how the Araluens may very well believe the two children were being threatened. They hoped for the best, but prepared for he worst.

Thankfully, the wolf ship landed uninhibited. The crew got to work, throwing ropes for araluen hands to secure. When the gangplank was finally dropped and the burly deck hand stepped out of the way, Evalyn had Will's arm in a death grip and pulling him at a sprint onto the dock and towards the adults. She finally let go only to throw herself into her father's waiting arms. Her body shook with the onset of emotions that flooded her. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and she swallowed back tears of pure relief. The weight of everything she had seen done and experienced In the past months hit her in a flood of emotions as she sunk into the comforting warmth of her father's steady body.

Once Evalyn broke off from him Will was drawn to Halt, overcome with relief to see him again. Halt, for his part, showed as much emotion as Will had ever seen on his face. There was something raw behind the care in his eyes as the ranger folded his son in all but blood into his arms. Will clung to Halt's coarse jerkin as he breathed in the scent of wood and horses and linseed oil. The small cabin on the edge of the woods had felt stars away in the past months but now he felt he might finally get _home_.__

_ _Duncan revelled in the slight form of his daughter embracing him. It was a gift he had thought forsaken from him forever. She wore coarse woolen mens' garments and her strawberry blonde hair had grown from a sheet cut to just below her ears. He stroked her head now, coarse and straw like from sea salt but his daughter all the same. As she forced tears away Duncan knew his daughter was one of the bravest people he would have the pleasure of knowing._ _

_ _Halt could only feel relief and incredible amounts of love as he held Will close. His apprentice had worked his way into his grizzled, old heart, and the naturally cheerful boy was to be protected as a son in Halt's eyes. As halt had watched his son taken on a raider's boat to unknown dangers halt had hated himself and cursed his own failure, needing to go after him as soon as possible. Duncan had forbidden it and Halt devised a plan that would fiercely crush him but free him from his Kings ruling. Crowley, on the other hand, had other plans and refused to let him go.  
Speaking of raiders…_ _

_ _The pairs eventually separated and the men looked towards the skandians. All of them had remained on the ship to seem as non aggressive as battle axe wielding giants possibly could. Cassandra stepped forward with a slight cough to clear her throat and draw attention to her. She made eye contact with her father and then turned to face the river. _ _

_ _"I would like to formally invite oberjarl Erak Starfollower and jarl Svengal and his crew as guests in Araluen." Erak looked to Duncan, who warily inclined his head, and stepped on to the gangplank._ _


End file.
